biometric technology Archives

FBI and DoD were actively involved in facial recognition development

03/10/202303/09/2023 Stephanie Beck

Facial recognition - Technology used on woman

The software used in everything from street cameras to drones was developed in part by the Pentagon. Internal documents made public due to a lawsuit response have shown that the US government was profoundly involved in the research and development of facial recognition software they were hoping to use for mass surveillance. The FBI and Defense Department were actively involved in R&D to help identify people from footage. According to the documents, the FBI and Department of Defense were actively involved in facial recognition software research and development in the…

NITI Aayog thinktank recommends improved facial recognition security in India

11/09/202211/08/2022 Sam Lambert

Facial recognition technology - man being scanned

The National Institute for Transforming India is calling for enhanced safeguards for collected personal data. The National Institute for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) an Indian government think tank, has called for clearer safeguards regarding personal data collected using facial recognition technology. They are pushing for improved security for personal data collected from citizens across India. NITI Aayog was particularly concerned about improvements regarding the facial recognition data collected through the Digi Yatra airport biometrics system. The think tank has issued a draft discussion paper as the latest updated version of…

Clearview facial recognition company fined nearly $22 million in Italy

03/10/202203/09/2022 L. Green

The country’s privacy watchdog has stated that the firm made it possible to track Italian residents. Earlier this week, Italy’s privacy watchdog fined Clearview AI, a facial recognition software company, €20 million (nearly $22 million). The company has also been ordered to delete all data relating to people in Italy. Beyond the fine, the American facial recognition software firm has been ordered to delete all data having to do with people in Italy, and it is banned from collecting and processing any other Italian information. According to Clearview AI, it…

Researchers easily dupe biometric scanners with fake fingerprints

04/09/202004/08/2020 Jennifer Goula

The tech experts used 3D printed molds to replicate real fingerprint and trick user authentication tech. Cisco Talos researchers have said they were able to easily trick biometric scanners, gaining access to eight mobile devices. The process involved using a painstaking replication effort but then quickly accessed the phones. The researchers used a meticulous process for replicating user fingerprints using 3D-printed molds. In this way, they were able to break through the biometric scanners very easily. Of course, this wouldn’t be possible for the average cybercriminal. It would need someone…

New Amazon payment system will use shoppers’ hands as IDs

01/02/202012/31/2019 Stephanie Beck

The online marketplace giant is taking more steps toward a unique biometric development. A new Amazon payment system is in development and could one day be used to ID customers based on their hands. This security feature is meant to help verify an individual’s identity without having to touch the person. Unlike fingerprint scans that are commonly used to unlock secured smartphones, no contact is needed. The Amazon payment system is one of the latest steps made by the online retail giant’s engineers. The technology’s development was made public through…